Dear Editor:
I read Roger Rivera, President of the United Food and Commercial
Workers Union and chief puppeteer of Gilroy First’s letter to the
editor in The Dispatch, Friday, Sept. 19.
Dear Editor:
I read Roger Rivera, President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and chief puppeteer of Gilroy First’s letter to the editor in The Dispatch, Friday, Sept. 19. Mr. Rivera goes on and on with his, “that depends on what your definition of is, is” defense. Unfortunately for Mr. Rivera, the 44,200 of non-union citizens of Gilroy (and most of the rank-and-file union members) don’t buy it. Gilroy First! and you Mr. Rivera were not up front and honest. Only now, after being outed by others, and myself have you and Ms. Rose Barry adopted glasnost and perestroika as if it has always been that way.
Here are some questions for Mr. Rivera and Ms. Barry:
1. Why did the “self-defined computer geek” volunteering on his “own time” (yeah right!), use the false name of Ferdinand Sausalito when he registered the web site on Omnis.com?
2. Since Rose Barry claims that Gilroy First! only had $20, who paid for the web site registration and monthly fees? Perhaps Ferdinand Sausalito will be able to provide the FPPC and the district attorney with the cancelled checks.
3. Since the address given for Gilroy First is 6901 Church Street (Mr. Sausalito’s house) why has the United Food and Commercial Workers Union been paying the rent there?
4. Since the union now claims that they were just housing and feeding Gilroy First! at that address and in fact it is just the union hall, why have you not registered with the city of Gilroy with the necessary “home occupation” permit required by the city for organizations such as yours in order to conduct business?
5. Ms. Barry, why did Gilroy First! on Sept. 5, file an FPPC form 410 to form a recipient committee for the purpose of collecting and disbursing monies for political purposes if your group is, as you claim, just a community education and voter registration grassroots organization?
6. Ms. Barry, on that form 410, why did the labor council’s attorney, Ash Pirayou, sign on the dotted line as your treasurer while your brochure states that Steve Jones is your treasurer? No doubt, more pro-bono works from the good-hearted UFCW folks.
7. Ms. Barry, who has been paying for the printing of all of your printed materials, which by the way, all have the union bug emblazoned on them?
Finally, Mr. Rivera, I believe most Gilroyan’s understand that the singular concern of your union is to prevent Wal-Mart from expanding in Gilroy at any cost, or with any dirty trick at your disposal. Perhaps Gilroy First! became the useful idiots for the UFCW’s effort to take control of our City Council, but Ms. Barry’s denials even in the face of irrefutable evidence, makes me doubt her integrity as well.
I submit to you, Mr. Rivera, that most folks in Gilroy are excited to have new shopping opportunities including a Super Wal-Mart. I can tell you this, since I have encountered your union and its strong-arm tactics in April, I have intentionally reduced my shopping at your local organized grocery stores. I would be curious to know if your member’s convictions are as strong as you say.
More than once, I have seen cashiers from Safeway shopping at Wal-Mart, in uniform! Oh well, so much for principle. Dr. Peter Arellano said it best in an impassioned stump speech at the City Council meeting last week while defending Gilroy First! He said (paraphrased), “I was there in the beginning and at the end.” Dr. Arellano described Gilroy First! as, “a child of the unions, as opposed to an identical twin.” You heard it right. The union gave birth to Gilroy First!
The recent demise of Indian Motorcycles can be partly blamed on the Davis-Bustamante regime and Coachman Antiques departure from Gilroy is another good example of how bad law and policy are causing businesses and people to vote with their feet. These same business-hostile forces that are destroying our economy are all around us. They use code phrases such as “livable wage”, “open space”, “smart growth.” They all sound wholesome and good, but they come at a great cost – our freedom to choose our own destiny. Please do not vote for those candidates for City Council who will sell our city’s soul to the union and environmentalists. Vote NO on Lupe Arellano, Peter Arellano, Paul Correa, and Bruce Morasca.
Mark A. Zappa, Gilroy
Submitted Wednesday, Sept. 24 to ed****@****ic.com
